2016–17 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team

2016–17 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
Pac-12 tournament champions Pac-12 regular season co-champions
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen
Conference	Pac-12 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 7
AP	No. 4
Record	0–5, 32 wins vacated (0–2 Pac-12, 16 wins vacated)
Head coach	Sean Miller (8th season)
Associate head coach	Joe Pasternack
Assistant coaches	Emanuel Richardson Mark Phelps
Home arena	McKale Center
Seasons ← 2015–16 2017–18 →

The 2016–17 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by eighth-year head coach Sean Miller, and played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members in the Pac-12 Conference. Coming into the '16-'17 season Arizona has been ranked in 78-consecutive AP polls & 81-straight coaches polls. The 97-consecutive weeks in the AP poll is currently the second-longest streak in the nation behind Kansas at 161 weeks.^[1] They have been ranked every week in the 2016-2017 season, bringing those totals to 97 weeks for the AP & 100 weeks for the coaches poll. Arizona won its first 10 conference games, the best start since the '97-'98 season when they started 16-0. They finished the season with at record of 31–4, tied at 16–2 with Oregon in Pac-12 play for first place to win their 3rd Pac-12 regular season championship title for the 15th time. The Wildcats entered the Pac-12 Tournament as a 2-seed, the Wildcats defeated 7-seed Colorado in the quarterfinals, 3-seed UCLA in the semifinals and 1-seed Oregon (avenged from 85–58 loss on February 4 in Eugene, OR) in the championship game, Wildcats won their 2nd Pac-12 Tournament championship title for the 6th time since 2002. Arizona received as an automatic bid to the 5th straight NCAA tournament (34th NCAA tournament appearances) as a 2-seed in the West regional, The Arizona Wildcats defeated the 15-seed North Dakota 100–82 in the first round, 7-seed Saint Mary's 69–60 in the second round before being upset by 11-seed Xavier 71–73 in the Sweet Sixteen.

Due to 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal, all wins from this season have been vacated.^[2][3]

The Wildcats finished the 2015–16 season with a record of 25–9, 12–6 in Pac-12 play to finish in a tie with California for third place. The Wildcats entered the Pac-12 tournament as a 4 seed where they beat Colorado in the quarterfinals, but fell in the semifinals to Oregon in overtime. Arizona received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, the program's 33rd overall appearance, as a No. 6 seed in the South Region. They lost in the First Round to Wichita State.

Arizona's recruiting class has been ranked among the top 5 in the nation. However, due to eligibility concerns, five-star recruit Terrance Ferguson chose to play internationally and not attend Arizona.^[11]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Lauri Markkanen F/C	Helsinki, FI	Helsinki Basketball Academy	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Oct 17, 2015
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 96
Kobi Simmons PG	Alpharetta, GA	St. Francis HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Jan 16, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 92
Rawle Alkins SG	Middle Village, NY	Word of God Christian Academy	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Mar 7, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 92
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #7   Rivals: #3  247Sports: #5  ESPN: #7
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Arizona 2016 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016. "2016 Arizona Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016. "2016 Arizona Wildcats Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016. "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016. "2016 Arizona 24/7 Sports Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016.

Recruits at the 2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

Deandre Ayton, Arizona

US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Alex Barcello PG	Tempe, AZ	Corona del Sol HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Aug 26, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 83
Deandre Ayton C	Nassau, Bahamas	Hillcrest Prep Academy (AZ)	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Sep 6, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 97
Brandon Randolph SG	Yonkers, NY	Westtown School (PA)	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Oct 12, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 89
Ira Lee PF	Los Angeles, CA	Crossroads School	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Oct 20, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 85
Emmanuel Akot F/G	Winnipeg, MB	Wasatch Academy (UT)	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Mar 9, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 88
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #3   Rivals: #3  247Sports: #3  ESPN: #3
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Arizona 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "2017 Arizona Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "2017 Arizona Wildcats Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. "2017 Arizona 24/7 Sports Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017.

2016–17 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown G 0 Parker Jackson-Cartwright 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jr Sierra Canyon School Los Angeles, CA G 1 Rawle Alkins 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Fr Word of God Christian Brooklyn, NY G 2 Kobi Simmons 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr St. Francis HS Atlanta, GA G 3 Dylan Smith  6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 170 lb (77 kg) So UNC Asheville Mobile, AL G 5 Kadeem Allen 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Sr Hutchinson C.C. Wilmington, NC F 10 Lauri Markkanen 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Fr Helsinki Basketball Academy Jyväskylä, FI C 14 Dušan Ristić 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Jr Sunrise Christian Academy Novi Sad, RS G 20 Talbott Denny  6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) RS Sr Lipscomb Tucson, AZ C 21 Chance Comanche 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 215 lb (98 kg) So Beverly Hills HS Beverly Hills, CA F 24 Ray Smith  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) RS Fr Las Vegas HS Las Vegas, NV F 25 Keanu Pinder 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jr Hutchinson C.C. Perth, AU G 35 Allonzo Trier 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) So Findlay Prep Seattle, WA G 50 Tyler Trillo (W) 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) RS So Roger Williams Southbury, CT G 51 Paulo Cruz (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So Francis Parker School San Diego, CA G 52 Kory Jones (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Fr Westfield HS Herndon, VA F 55 Jake Desjardins (W) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr Coronado HS Henderson, NV	Head coach Sean Miller (Pittsburgh) Assistant coach(es) Joe Pasternack (Indiana) Emanuel Richardson (Pitt–Johnstown) Mark Phelps (Old Dominion) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster

• Aug 24, 2016 – Talbott Denny will miss the 2016–17 season after tearing his left ACL.^[12]
• Nov 1, 2016 – Allonzo Trier suspended indefinitely for a test positive for PED.^[13] On Jan. 20, it was announced Trier would make his return for the UCLA game after 19 game absence.^[14]
• Nov 1, 2016 – Sean Miller announced in a statement that Chance Comanche suspended indefinitely due to academic reasons.^[15] Suspension was lifted by season opener.^[16]
• Nov 3, 2016 – Ray Smith tore his ACL in his right knee in the team's first exhibition game on November 1. Two days later, Smith announced on Twitter that he will end his basketball career.^[17]
• Nov 30, 2016 – Parker Jackson-Cartwright suffered a high ankle sprain during game against Texas Southern.^[18] Made return for conference opener on December 30.

• before Jan. 20

• after Jan. 20

In Arizona's non-conference schedule the team hosted Cal State Bakersfield, Grand Canyon, New Mexico, Texas Southern, UC Irvine, Northern Colorado and Sacred Heart. Arizona had one true road game against Missouri. The Wildcats also played five games in four neutral sites. They played Michigan State in the Armed Forces Classic at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii (later announced that game was moved to Stan Sheriff Center to accommodate more fans^[19]), Gonzaga in the first ever HoopHall LA event at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Texas A&M at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, and also played at Orleans Arena as part in the Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas, where they face off against three of the following: Butler, Santa Clara or Vanderbilt.^[20]

In the unbalanced 18-game Pac-12 schedule, the team will face neither the Rocky Mountain teams (Colorado/Utah) on the road, nor the Oregon teams (Oregon/Oregon State) at home.

Arizona's pre-season Red-Blue scrimmage took place on October 14, 2016 at McKale Center. The Red team beat the Blue, 53–49.

*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings

• Allonzo Trier
  • Jerry West Award Watchlist (October 18, 2016) ^[21]
• Lauri Markkanen
  • Karl Malone Award Watchlist (October 20, 2016) ^[22]
  • Naismith Award Watchlist (November 10, 2016) ^[23]
  • Wooden Award Watchlist (November 15, 2016) ^[24]

• Lauri Markkanen
  • Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 (January 12, 2017) ^[25]
  • Wayman Tisdale Award
    & Oscar Robertson Award Midseason watch list (January 23, 2017) ^[26]
  • Karl Malone Award Finalist (February 2, 2017) ^[27]
  • Naismith Trophy Top 30 (February 9, 2017) ^[28]
  • Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 (January 12, 2017) ^[29]

• Sean Miller
  • 2017 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year semifinalist (March 3, 2017)^[30]
  • Pac-12 Coach of the Year (March 7, 2017) ^[31]
  • Coach of the Year (Bleacher Report, Fox)^{[32]
    [33]}
  • AP Pac-12 Coach of the Year (March 7, 2017) ^[34]
  • NABC District 20 Coach of the Year (March 22, 2017)
• Lauri Markkanen
  • 2017 Wooden Award Top 15 Finalist (March 4, 2017) ^[35]
• Allonzo Trier
  • Pac-12 Tournament MOP (2017)

• Lauri Markkanen
  • 2x Pac-12 Player of the Week (January 20, 2017 – February 20, 2017)^{[36]
    [37]}
  • Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week (January 24, 2017) ^[38]
  • Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week (February 20, 2017)
  • Wayman Tisdale National Freshman Player of the Week (February 20, 2017)

• Lauri Markkanen
  • All-Pac-12 Freshman team (2017)
  • All-Pac-12 first team (2017)
  • All-Pac-12 tournament team (2017)
  • AP All-Pac-12 first team (2017)
• Rawle Alkins
  • All-Pac-12 freshman team (2017)
• Kadeem Allen
  • All-Pac-12 defensive team (2017)
  • All-Pac-12 second team (2017)
• Allonzo Trier
  • All-Pac-12 second team (2017)

• Lauri Markkanen
  • 2017 All-American 3rd team (AP, USA Today, SN, NBC, B1G Man)
  • District IX All-District team (2017)
  • NABC All-District First Team (District 20, March 22, 2017)

2016–17 Arizona Wildcats women's basketball team